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Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Eileen Goltz
My tips for making the best of the best chocolate chip cookies are to always, always, always use real butter (did I mention always?) and to be sure it’s room temperature when you use it. Margarine doesn’t taste or cook the same. Second, always use more vanilla than you think you should. I always add an extra teaspoon or two. Vanilla brings out the flavor of chocolate and splurge: Use the real stuff.
The following recipes are all one’s I’ve made at one time or another and none is less spectacular than another. I’m not putting in the same old Toll House or million-dollar “supposed” Neiman Marcus recipes, you can get them anywhere on the Internet. The following recipes are all variations on a theme that is chocolate decadence at its finest. I’ve had most of the recipes in my files for years and make them often.
SOFT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (dairy)
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. When combined, add the pudding, eggs and vanilla and mix. Add in the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Add the chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies depending on size.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (dairy)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups M&Ms
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 and grease 2 cookie sheets. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. In another large bowl. cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gently stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in the M&Ms and nuts.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
Submitted/modified by Carolyn Smitz, age 12, Elk Grove, IL
COFFEE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES (dairy or pareve)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pound butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee mixed with 2 tablespoons hot water
1lb bag chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350. Use parchment paper on the cookie sheets. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon, and set it aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter/margarine, sugars, chocolate syrup and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, and then add the coffee mixture, chocolate chunks and nuts. Drop rounded tablespoons of the cookie dough about 2-inches apart on the parchment paper and bake for 10 to13 minutes. Do not overbake. Let the cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, and then remove to a cooling rack. Makes 3 dozen.
WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP NUT COOKIES (dairy or pareve)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk or nondairy substitute
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup macadamia nuts or pecans, chopped coarsely
Preheat oven to 325. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter/margarine and sugar, and then add the coconut, egg, milk/nondairy substitute and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix thoroughly. Add the white chocolate and nuts, gently folding them into the cookie dough. Drop by spoonful onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 to 12 minutes. Don’t let them get too brown; you want to take them out just before they are done and let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet while cooling. They should be just lightly brown on their outer edge. Allow cookies to cool about 5 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet and placing on a cooling rack. Don’t remove them until they are cool as they fragile and will break. Makes 2 to 3 dozen depending on the size.
ORANGE WHITE-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (dairy)
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar; packed
1 egg
2 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups white chocolate chips or chunks
Preheat oven 350. Use parchment paper on 2 to 3 cookie sheets. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and set it aside. In another bowl, combine the butter/margarine and brown sugar, and beat until creamy. Beat in the egg and orange zest. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in white chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 to 4 minutes and let them finish cooling on wire cooling racks. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
MARTHA STEWART’S CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES (dairy or pareve)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg white
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 375, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla, whole egg and egg white. Beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture in two batches; mix until just combined. Mix in chocolate. Shape 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time into balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Modified from Martha Stewart's website.
PEANUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (dairy or pareve)
1 stick butter or margarine, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup dry-roasted or honey roasted peanuts
Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly rub two cookies sheets with butter, or use nonstick baking sheets. Set aside. Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanuts, and mix thoroughly.
Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3 cookies per row in 5 rows. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.
Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookie sheet cool for 1 or 2 minutes more before reusing so the dough doesn't melt. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on size.
Modified from epicurious.com from Chocolate on the Brain by Kevin & Nancy Mills
CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY COOKIES (dairy)
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 10-oz jar maraschino cherries (about 48)
6-oz package semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until blended, but do not overmix. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of dough with thumb. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry spreading to cover cherry. (Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice, if necessary). Bake for about 10 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack to cool. Makes about 48 cookies.
From Better Homes and Gardens